Wood veneer and process of preparing same



Patented Dec. 3, 1929 PTENT oFFics WILLIAM H. WOOD, OF SOUTH EUCLID, OHIO WOOD VENEER AND PROCESS OF PREPARING SAME No Drawing. Application filed. April 7, 1824,

This invention relates to the treatment o'lf Wood veneer whereby its shipment and storage is facilitated, its life increased, its application permitted to unseasoned bases, and the life of its products increased. By veneer I denote thin plates, sheets, or strips of Wood either in the free state or after incorporation in an article of manufacture. Such thin strips are Widely a used in the manufacture of baskets of all shapes, sizes, and types, generally by iveaving, Wattling, or tying; for making crates, hampers and vegetable barrels by nailing to thin Wooden supports; and for produ ing furniture, house finish, doors, etc, by being glued to the surface of more massive lumber of cheaper grade.

The production, handling and shipment oi these thin strips and sheets of Wood varies With the dili'erent uses, but is always diilicult and expensive. In the making of baskets it is necessary to employ the strips in a pliable condition for Which purpose the strips are customarily made at the point of use, since only certain Woods can be shipped and stored Without losing that pliable nature, and these are not the best or cheapest Woods for basket making. Accordingly each locality is obliged to make its own strips, the logs being gen erally kept in a vat of hot Water until the moment of their transfer to the veneer cutter, and the strips being delivered to the Weavers With a minimum of delay after they are produced. Even if strips are shipped short distances they must be rcsoaked before using. These considerations generally require basket factories to maintain expensive, complicated machinery even though the production of the baskets is essentially a hand industry requiring only a minimum of machinery.

Excepting for the dilliculty otshippingthcse strips, the basket stock could equally Well be produced at some central point Where lumber is readily available and shipped about the country as need requires, thus enabling baskets to be made by small concerns to meet 10- cal requirements which is particularly necessary in a case Where the bulk is so great compared With the value of the product.

Furthermore, While such a basket exhibits Serial No. 704,698. Renewed July 26, 1928.

a high degree of strength when new, this strength rapidly decreases owing to the dry ing of the veneer which causes it to become brittle, for which reason the life of such a basket is very short.

1 have discovered that it is possible, by impre, .a ing the pores of the veneer With ,ertain osmotic salts, to prouuce a veneer ill not warp, check or split to any is e: it; which can be shipped "ed with ut becoming brittle or losclasii "ty,which can be made into cs, han'ipers, and the like With at y eqi'lal readiness after months of SllOlZlsC when fresh and which exhibits a greatly increased length oi life When made into such baskets, crates, hampers, etc. benefits and advantages of my disy Will become apparent as the description proceeds.

in the performance of my said invention 1 impre nate the veneer with a Water-soluble crystal e os iotic salt which crystallizes With sui'licient water of crystallizationto retain a sullicient amount of potential dampness to prevent over-desicrntion of the Woody fibers Without at the same time producing sensible dampness. This impregnation may occur either belore or after cutting of the veneer; and the compound which I prefer to use for this purpose is magnesium sulphate, commonly known as Epsom salt, dissolved in Water to the extent of a hot concentrated solution. This salt crystallizes With seven molecules of Water in accordance with the formula liiigSOJH Q, the Water of crystallizatirm hcin o loosely held as largely to at the boiling point of Water.

be driven oil it is very much more soluble in hot \vater than in cold water and exhibits high osmotic pressure thereby penetrating; readily into all parts oi the lumber. It is not hygroscopic and does not become damp even in moist climates. By soaking the logs or strips in a hot concentrated solution, the same will be found sensibly dry immediately upon cooling and Without Waiting for evaporation, the pores of the lumber being filled with crystalline Epsom salts which physically supports them against collapsing as well as preventing overdrying of the cell walls. The shrink- 7 age of such a veneer strip is markedly less than that of an untreated strip and its life is indefinitely prolonged. Basket stock can be shipped and stored indefinitely, and can be worked either wet or dry; although the soaking unless effected in a solution of the same composition, removes the crystals and leaves the veneer in condition for early disintegration the same as though it had never been treated. However, its flexibility is sufficiently great to permit its manipulation in the usual manner even while dry, in which case the benefits of the treatment are preserved to the resulting product.

Inasmuch as this veneer is intended primarily for food containers it is necessary that the salt employed for impregnating the same be non-poisonous; to prevent the strips sweating in moist weather it is necessary that the salt be non-hygroscopic; to prevent injury to the strips or food it is necessary that the material be non-alkaline.

I However, I do not limit myself to magnesium sulphate for the purpose as certain other sulphate salts which crystallize with water of crystallization can be employed, such as sodium sulphate (Na sO lOH O),

sodium thiosuplhate (Na S:O 5H O), aluminum sulphate (Al (SO. )3, 18H O) and certain of the alums. Accordingly I do not limit myself exceptas set forth in my several claims he'reto annexed.

Having thus describedby invention what I claim is:

1.. A Wood veneer consisting of a sheet of porous Wood impregnated With a water soluble substance consisting predominantly of free magnesium sulphate.

2. The process of preparing wood veneer for storage, shipment, and use which contains the step of soaking the same in a hot concentrated solution of a water soluble sub stance consisting predominantly of free magnesium sulphate.

Veneer for food containers consisting of thin, pliable wood strips impregnated with a water soluble sulphate salt which'crystallizes with water of crystallization, such as sodium sulphate, sodium-thio sulphate, aluminum sulphate, magnesium sulphate and alum.

, In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature. 7 WILLIAM H. WOOD. 

